Milwaukee Common Council members are poised to vote later in November on a long-negotiated police contract that is estimated to cost the city nearly $51 million in raises and additional pension costs for the city’s officers.
The high costs associated with the contract raised future budget concerns from some members of the city’s Finance and Personnel Committee, which oversees labor relations and the city budget process, on Nov. 17. Despite that, the committee recommended approval for the contract between the Milwaukee Police Association and the city when it reaches the full Common Council on Nov. 25.
If passed there, it would officially end a nearly three-year long negotiation between the city and the union that represents the rank-and-file officers of the Milwaukee Police Department.
The agreed-upon contract gives officers effectively a 15% raise, which includes backpay for prior years.
“There are future obligations that are going to be incredibly difficult for this city to balance,” said Marina Dimitrijevic, who is chair of the committee. “We are required to increase officers that are now going to be substantially more expensive for the city.”
An analysis by the city’s Legislative Reference Bureau estimated the contract to raise salary costs by nearly $45.4 million from 2023 through 2026. In that same time period, pension costs are estimated at over $5.5 million.
The high costs associated with the contract gave pause to some council members on the committee, particularly when compounded with mandates from state law that Milwaukee grow its police force.
That’s because of Wisconsin Act 12, a 2023 Wisconsin funding law, which gave the city more funding but required it grow its police force to 1,725 officers by 2034. The city currently has 1,645 officers.
The Legislative Reference Bureau document estimated, if the 80 remaining officers were hired immediately, it would cost about $8.67 million and possibly about $11 million if they were hired at higher contract classifications.
Dimitrijevic and Ald. Sharlen Moore both worried about how the costs could force the city’s hand when it comes to making changes to other services that are not mandated. Some of those services, Dimitrijevic said, could be things that “lightens the work” of officers, like housing assistance or violence prevention programs.
“How do we as a city keep up with this pace while still being able to provide valuable city resources to our residents?” Moore said.
The committee recommendation for approval came without unanimity. Three members — Alds. Peter Burgelis, Sharlen Moore and Scott Spiker — voted for recommending approval, and two others, Alds. Dimitrijevic and Milele Coggs, abstained.
The committee meeting also provided some of the other changes in the pending contract for the first time.
Among them includes a lower threshold for police officers to receive overtime for court appearances, down to two hours from two-and-a-half hours; officers hired on or after Jan. 1, 2024, are placed in the state retirement system; and an increased stipend for equipment.
It also includes moving the three union liaisons, which the city splits the salary of with the union, to a higher pay scale. Those positions include the executive board of the union.
The tentative contract was agreed upon in October, as the city and police union were in arbitration and came to a mutual agreement. About two weeks later, the union membership approved the contract and full Common Council approval remains the final step.
The agreement will hopefully bring “labor peace,” Alex Ayala, president of the union, told the city finance committee.
“There’s a lot of things that are positive things in this contract,” he said. “Us coming together with the city, I think is beneficial to everyone.”
David Clarey is a public safety reporter at the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. He can be reached at dclarey@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Milwaukee committee moves police union contract forward, costs estimated at $51 million
Reporting by David Clarey, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
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